Overview of a Multiple Access Point, Wireless-AC Home Network

For many years, my team oversaw the design and development of several generations of wireless gateways for one of the largest cable companies. We pioneered the deployment of an integrated private WiFi solution as well as a neighborhood public hotspot network that eventually exceeded 16 million hotspots. So, I understand the unique challenges associated with blanketing whole homes with high-speed WiFi coverage suitable for not only for casual web browsing but also connecting smart home devices and supporting low latency, high-speed video gaming and 4K UHD video distribution.

Mesh Networks

Mesh-network based, multi-unit WiFi access point solutions from Google, Eero, Luma, and other vendors are popular now. Compared to typical networking gear, they look unobtrusive, so you won’t mind placing the access points out in the open for maximum wireless reception. Mesh WiFi systems connect multiple units (nodes) to move data from the client to the router. If your goal is to fill in wireless dead zones with the minimal amount of installation effort (meaning no wire pulling), then this approach will give you the largest coverage but at the expense of throughput.

Although there have been advances in self-healing, I have found that, over time, mesh networks tend to break, resulting in loss of LAN and Internet connectivity. All of these vendors’ solutions are based on relatively slow AC1200-1300 technology. Moreover, every mesh extender results in about 50% reduction in speed and increased network latency because the radio is used for both backhaul and connection to the client device. Therefore, I would only use mesh networks where neither wired-line nor wireless direct backhaul is possible. I also wouldn’t buy any solution today that isn’t Wave2 802.11ac with MU-MIMO.

Hub & Spoke Multi-Access Point Networks

Netgear’s Orbi and Linksys’ Velop offer far more powerful hub & spoke-based, multiple-access point solutions. In reviews, they tend to be commingled with mesh network wireless routers but are very different architectures. Using Orbi as an example, it includes a traditional router and a wireless extender. Although it is only AC1200 class, Orbi uses a dedicated 4×4 MU-MIMO radio to connect the extender to the router. Orbi has over a 2x performance advantage over Luma (which doesn’t have a 5Ghz backhaul) and Eero (which only has a 2×2 connection).1 If you don’t want to pull an Ethernet cable through your attic, then hub & spoke-based networking solutions are much faster than typical mesh networking solutions.

Network Management Mobile App’s Capabilities

Google, Eero and Luma all have excellent mobile apps for home network management (far better than Netgear or Linksys). The average user likely prioritizes both convenience of installation and ongoing management over range and throughput.

Considerations:

• Look for a vendor that provides monthly firmware updates to address router-based security issues.
• Assess whether your router includes home network cybersecurity features such as malware scanning and malware blocking.
• Determine the value to your family of parental controls, which typically include both whole-house rules temporarily ‘pausing the internet’ and per-device rules like time limits, bed time, content filtering, and real-time network access alerts. (We prefer to use social rather than technical limits in our family.)

Read part two, here.

 

Credit to Digital Ethereal, which has created an amazing gallary of images of WiFi in the real world.

Updated on January 17th, 2018